Ariyappadatha Theevin Kathai

In this short novel by Nobel Laurate Jose Saramago a man went to knock at the King's door and said “Give me a boat”. The king's house had many other doors but this was the door for petitions. Since the king spent all his time sitting at the door for favours (favors being offered to the king you understand) whenever he heard someone knocking at the door for petitions he would pretend not to hear . . . Why the petitioner required a boat where he was bound for and who volunteered to crew for him the reader will discover in this delightful fable a philosophic love story worthy of Swift or Voltaire. Saramago departs from his signature dense inventive linguistic style and historically encompassing subjects to offer a simple intriguing fable. Saramago tells his deceptively plain tale in simple prose studded with the dialogue of endearingly innocent characters; readers dreamers and lovers will detect the psychological romantic and social subtexts.